dull sound, sprawled spread-eagle across the cobbles.
The older of the thugs stared at his downed colleague in shock while Jesper cursed. “For goodness’ sake, lass.” He shook his head in disbelief and then glared at me. “Now you’ve downed Little Sin. We’ll have to come back for him. You won’t get me or Dandy here, all right. We ain’t gonna hurt you, am under orders from Boss not to. So, Dandy here is going to take you, and I’m going to take the boy here, all right? Now, if you don’t make a fuss, I won’t slit the boy’s throat.”
“What do you want?” I whispered, wishing Wolfe would wake up.
“That’s up to Boss to tell you, lass.”
I had no choice but to walk with Dandy as Jesper carried Wolfe over his shoulder, an impressive feat considering how large the captain was. He grunted and groaned about Wolfe’s weight the entire time we walked. My outrage grew as we strode through the dank streets of the rookery and people ignored my pleading looks as we passed. They flinched away from my silent pleas, their eyes washing over my companions in fear before they turned away as quickly as possible, pretending they hadn’t seen a thing. I knew then that I was in the hands of one of the rookery gangs. Someone back at the tavern must have sold us out. Wolfe had been right all along. We spoke too well, held ourselves like a lady and a gentleman. I could only imagine we were being kidnapped for possible ransom.
Again.
Jesper and Dandy slowed as we approached a substantial, crumbling building, the glass panes of its windows broken and cracked, the wide double doors covered in splashed paint. Jesper banged on the door three times and it swung open. A young man with a knife in each hand stood back to let us in.
“Got ’em then, Jesper?”
Jesper laughed and swatted Wolfe’s bottom. “Looks like it, don’t it.”
The boy eyed me as Dandy pushed me inside. I stared around the open space with its large ovens and broken glass, with the grains of sand littering the floor. I guessed we were in a disused glassworks. At the back of the space was a wall, the upper half blocked in with glass that was cracked and shattered in some areas. A doorway led into darker places beyond. There were pieces of old furniture here and there, perhaps a dismal attempt to make the place look cozy.
I froze, taking in the flickering candlelight and the gang of men and women who lounged around the room, their beady eyes watching me. They were like a plague of rats.
“Take ’em through the back to Boss’s room, ’e said.” The boy jerked his head toward the rear of the building.
“He in?”
“Nah. Won’t be long, ’e said.”
Jesper grunted and shifted Wolfe up on his shoulder. I stayed close as we walked through the space, Jesper calling greetings to gang members. I felt a tug on my skirts and turned to see a young, haggard-looking woman clutching at me. She sat sprawled over an old chair, and I yanked out of her hold as she licked her lips. “Jesper, ask Boss if I can have this one.” She grinned up at the man before turning that wicked smile on me. I blushed in understanding, which made her laugh.
Jesper clamped his hand down on my arm.
“She’s for Boss, Nalia. Don’t get any ideas.”
Nalia’s lips twisted into a pout. “But I wants her. She’s pretty, like silk. You knows how I likes silk, Jesper.”
Jesper grunted and pushed me forward before I could dare the little witch to touch me at her peril. We were silent as we walked through steel-gray hallways, until Jesper came to a halt and thrust his foot against a door, shoving it open. The space beyond resembled what could pass for a normal room in this hovel. A brass-framed bed sat in the corner covered with colorful quilts and cushions. A fireplace had a tin bathtub in front of it, a cozy armchair sat off to the side, and knickknacks rested on the mantelpiece. Well-made furniture was placed just so around the room with men’s clothing haphazardly draped here and there.
And the bedroom was clean. Surprisingly so.
“Boss’s room,” Jesper grunted, and then dropped Wolfe on the stone floor as if he were nothing more than a sack of potatoes. I cried out and rushed for the captain just as his eyes began to open. “Shit!” Jesper sighed and reached